What do you wish you knew when you first picked up OOTP?

CybrSlydr · 04-15-2013, 10:32 AM

I'm brand new to the series - I come as a Football Manager player (FM13 is my first FM and I have almost 550 hrs in it). I sorely miss a good baseball game on the PC and asked over at Operation Sports if OOTP 14 was for me. They said that if I liked FM, I'd like this, so here I am!

I'm just wondering what us newbies should know that you vets wish you knew when you first started - always nice to get a head start!

Thanks!

Canuck · 04-15-2013, 10:59 AM

Don't try and revive the careers of guys like Valverde or Zambrano. Sign Wilson 4m over 5 years, he'll be worth every penny of it.

CybrSlydr · 04-15-2013, 11:08 AM

Well, I'm a Pirates fan - so I'm intelligent enough to not try and sign those guys. Unlike some people... lmfao

CybrSlydr · 04-15-2013, 11:53 AM

What about things like game mechanics, how things work and how aspects intermingle with others?

jm47048 · 04-15-2013, 12:29 PM

I think that the biggest draw for this game is the immersion. Get a mod. Find logos. Work with facegen. Do things that make the game as real as possible to you. The game will then handle itself. Read stats. Every stat. And I find that after every game I sim I take a closer look again at the FA list because if I don't keep up with it, I lose out. I have had some really horrible seasons and I have won championships and the methods don't change, but the league does. So just have fun and make the game what you want!

Bluenoser · 04-15-2013, 02:25 PM

If you understand baseball, then there is nothing else to "wish I had known".

It's like every other computer program in the world. It has menus, it can be overwhelming, it can be easy. If you're good on computers and with software you'll figure it out pretty quickly. The key is to explore the game, don't be afraid to try changing settings. You don't learn anything if you don't get your hands dirty.

Best thing to do when you first get the game is create a small league and then start playing with the various settings to find what you like best. Post questions on the forums as you go, most people here are only too glad to help.

glenwillett · 04-15-2013, 02:40 PM

I wish I had realized you could releasr multiple guys at a time... I wasted countless hours on various incarnations of this game right clicking and releasing people after the draft until someone here opened my eyes last year.

Mitchman11 · 04-15-2013, 06:49 PM

haha took me a week to figure out (and happened so by accident) that right clicking will close a player profile.

I just always kept clicking the back button over and over which was a complete pain in the rear. Especially when you looked at many pages on the profile lol.

cavebutter · 04-17-2013, 06:05 PM

I wish I had known more about how option years work. Particularly in regards to how the game handles options and non-roster invitees to Spring Training. The short answer is that there are no non-roster invitees in OOTP and if you have a guy in Spring Training then sending him down costs an option year.

There's a lot of discussion about options on the boards, and I recommend reading through them.

cavebutter · 04-17-2013, 06:48 PM

I just thought of another one, though it's a bit more esoteric. If it doesn't make sense to you, don't worry about it, but if you are planning a universe that has more than one major league, it's best if those leagues' seasons start and end around the same time.

If not, you will see a lot of free agents from League A sign contracts with League B right after A's season ends, only to be released by League B as soon B's season ends. The player will see no playing time in League B.

It doesn't mess anything up per se, but it makes players' histories hard to follow and makes off-season acquisitions hard to manage.

Tribe Fan 24 · 05-02-2013, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glenwillett

I wish I had realized you could releasr multiple guys at a time... I wasted countless hours on various incarnations of this game right clicking and releasing people after the draft until someone here opened my eyes last year.

Hey glenwillett.....or anyone for that matter.......

Would you care to post how you do this? I have so many garbage players in my minor leagues that I want rid of, and I want to release several players at once. Is there a way to do that without wiping out your whole minor league?

Thank you.....I dread having to go through and spend a large amount of time deleting these players one by one by one.

TF24

Neolithic · 05-02-2013, 06:32 PM

Use the "bubbles" on the left edge of the lists to select more than 1 player at a time, then when you right click on one of the names you have filled the bubble in on, it will be a context menu for all of them not just 1.

The other way, is to select the bubble on the "title bar" of the list, which will select everyone in the list, then you can just go and "unbubble" the players you don't want selected.

bcduggan · 05-02-2013, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neolithic

Use the "bubbles" on the left edge of the lists to select more than 1 player at a time, then when you right click on one of the names you have filled the bubble in on, it will be a context menu for all of them not just 1.

The other way, is to select the bubble on the "title bar" of the list, which will select everyone in the list, then you can just go and "unbubble" the players you don't want selected.

Also this year you can select the bubbles of players you want to offer minor league contracts to and offer all those selected minor league deals. Nice quick new feature.

Tribe Fan 24 · 05-02-2013, 09:34 PM

Thank you fellas!

Peregrine · 05-03-2013, 01:46 AM

Use the bookmark function - you can really save a lot of time by marking the top 5 or 6 screens you use the most and can access them via the function key.

RchW · 05-03-2013, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Use the bookmark function - you can really save a lot of time by marking the top 5 or 6 screens you use the most and can access them via the function key.

QFT

I wish there were more bookmark hot keys available.

Aumakua · 05-03-2013, 11:40 AM

Read through these boards first! find out what you want the game to do for you and figure out how to get there... If you are playing a historic league, fictional league, or current league, there are many things you need to research and do differently.

#1 thing IMO is to get mods! especially logo/jersey ones it adds a lot to the game, and if you are decent at photoshop type programs you can add your own teams to the game or "update" logos the way you think they should be.

I have personally spend days on logos and baseball cards as I love the features and think it adds so much depth to the game. Baseball cards are saved, so you can flip through them later.

yougo1000 · 05-03-2013, 05:38 PM

I wish I knew how to properly manage a farm team

ronaldo9 · 05-15-2013, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CybrSlydr

I'm brand new to the series - I come as a Football Manager player (FM13 is my first FM and I have almost 550 hrs in it). I sorely miss a good baseball game on the PC and asked over at Operation Sports if OOTP 14 was for me. They said that if I liked FM, I'd like this, so here I am!

I'm just wondering what us newbies should know that you vets wish you knew when you first started - always nice to get a head start!

Thanks!

Like you, I also come here from FM...I love the detail and the many ways you can play the game. What I wish I knew about FM was about loading databases and certain packs *before* I started a save. Does such a problem exist in OOTP and what mods would everyone recommend to install before beginning play?

GMLoophole · 05-15-2013, 10:24 PM

Maybe this is trite, but it's true. If you spend any kind of time setting up a league, be sure to save frequently as you work. I run an older computer, so I imagine it happens to me more than others, but OOTP just crashes once in a while, especially when setting up/editing leagues. Save often so you don't lose work.

And once you get into a season, back up often. I set for automatic weekly backups, but you might do it more.

Advice serves for any computer software, but who cares about work documents and school papers? Losing OOTP work REALLY hurts!

04-15-2013, 12:29 PM	#5
jm47048 All Star Starter Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,244	I think that the biggest draw for this game is the immersion. Get a mod. Find logos. Work with facegen. Do things that make the game as real as possible to you. The game will then handle itself. Read stats. Every stat. And I find that after every game I sim I take a closer look again at the FA list because if I don't keep up with it, I lose out. I have had some really horrible seasons and I have won championships and the methods don't change, but the league does. So just have fun and make the game what you want! __________________ The New York Yankees World Series Champions 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009 American League Champions 1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009

04-15-2013, 02:25 PM	#6
Bluenoser Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: In The Moment Posts: 13,680	If you understand baseball, then there is nothing else to "wish I had known". It's like every other computer program in the world. It has menus, it can be overwhelming, it can be easy. If you're good on computers and with software you'll figure it out pretty quickly. The key is to explore the game, don't be afraid to try changing settings. You don't learn anything if you don't get your hands dirty. Best thing to do when you first get the game is create a small league and then start playing with the various settings to find what you like best. Post questions on the forums as you go, most people here are only too glad to help. Last edited by Bluenoser; 04-15-2013 at 02:26 PM.

04-15-2013, 02:40 PM	#7
glenwillett Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 12	Re: What do you wish you knew when you first picked up OOTP? I wish I had realized you could releasr multiple guys at a time... I wasted countless hours on various incarnations of this game right clicking and releasing people after the draft until someone here opened my eyes last year.

04-17-2013, 06:05 PM	#9
cavebutter All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,158	I wish I had known more about how option years work. Particularly in regards to how the game handles options and non-roster invitees to Spring Training. The short answer is that there are no non-roster invitees in OOTP and if you have a guy in Spring Training then sending him down costs an option year. There's a lot of discussion about options on the boards, and I recommend reading through them. __________________ MySQL, MyStruggle - A self-indulgent blog about my attempts to roll my own MySQL Database with OOTP Logo Gallery

04-17-2013, 06:48 PM	#10
cavebutter All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,158	I just thought of another one, though it's a bit more esoteric. If it doesn't make sense to you, don't worry about it, but if you are planning a universe that has more than one major league, it's best if those leagues' seasons start and end around the same time. If not, you will see a lot of free agents from League A sign contracts with League B right after A's season ends, only to be released by League B as soon B's season ends. The player will see no playing time in League B. It doesn't mess anything up per se, but it makes players' histories hard to follow and makes off-season acquisitions hard to manage. __________________ MySQL, MyStruggle - A self-indulgent blog about my attempts to roll my own MySQL Database with OOTP Logo Gallery

04-15-2013, 10:32 AM	#1
CybrSlydr Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 4	What do you wish you knew when you first picked up OOTP? I'm brand new to the series - I come as a Football Manager player (FM13 is my first FM and I have almost 550 hrs in it). I sorely miss a good baseball game on the PC and asked over at Operation Sports if OOTP 14 was for me. They said that if I liked FM, I'd like this, so here I am! I'm just wondering what us newbies should know that you vets wish you knew when you first started - always nice to get a head start! Thanks!

04-15-2013, 10:59 AM	#2
Canuck Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 28	Don't try and revive the careers of guys like Valverde or Zambrano. Sign Wilson 4m over 5 years, he'll be worth every penny of it.

04-15-2013, 11:08 AM	#3
CybrSlydr Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 4	Well, I'm a Pirates fan - so I'm intelligent enough to not try and sign those guys. Unlike some people... lmfao

04-15-2013, 11:53 AM	#4
CybrSlydr Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 4	What about things like game mechanics, how things work and how aspects intermingle with others?

04-15-2013, 06:49 PM	#8
Mitchman11 Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 9	haha took me a week to figure out (and happened so by accident) that right clicking will close a player profile. I just always kept clicking the back button over and over which was a complete pain in the rear. Especially when you looked at many pages on the profile lol.

05-02-2013, 06:32 PM	#12
Neolithic Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 110	Use the "bubbles" on the left edge of the lists to select more than 1 player at a time, then when you right click on one of the names you have filled the bubble in on, it will be a context menu for all of them not just 1. The other way, is to select the bubble on the "title bar" of the list, which will select everyone in the list, then you can just go and "unbubble" the players you don't want selected.

05-02-2013, 09:34 PM	#14
Tribe Fan 24 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Maryville, TN Posts: 672	Thank you fellas! __________________ Long Suffering Tribe Fan Proud Papa of Caroline Grace (b. 2005) Kaeden Michael (b. 2008) and Claire Elise (b. 2012)

05-03-2013, 01:46 AM	#15
Peregrine All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Cary, North Carolina Posts: 635	Use the bookmark function - you can really save a lot of time by marking the top 5 or 6 screens you use the most and can access them via the function key.

05-03-2013, 11:40 AM	#17
Aumakua Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Flat lands Posts: 421	Read through these boards first! find out what you want the game to do for you and figure out how to get there... If you are playing a historic league, fictional league, or current league, there are many things you need to research and do differently. #1 thing IMO is to get mods! especially logo/jersey ones it adds a lot to the game, and if you are decent at photoshop type programs you can add your own teams to the game or "update" logos the way you think they should be. I have personally spend days on logos and baseball cards as I love the features and think it adds so much depth to the game. Baseball cards are saved, so you can flip through them later.

05-03-2013, 05:38 PM	#18
yougo1000 All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 652	I wish I knew how to properly manage a farm team __________________ Teams I like: Cubs Bears Bulls Hawks and Kansas JayHawks

05-15-2013, 10:24 PM	#20
GMLoophole All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 863	Maybe this is trite, but it's true. If you spend any kind of time setting up a league, be sure to save frequently as you work. I run an older computer, so I imagine it happens to me more than others, but OOTP just crashes once in a while, especially when setting up/editing leagues. Save often so you don't lose work. And once you get into a season, back up often. I set for automatic weekly backups, but you might do it more. Advice serves for any computer software, but who cares about work documents and school papers? Losing OOTP work REALLY hurts!